How to Ensure Effective Execution of a Disaster Recovery Plan?

CISM By islever Editorial Last updated

Short answer

C Make sure procedures are available at both the primary and failover locations to enable immediate staff action during an outage.

Question

Which of the following BEST helps to ensure the effective execution of an organization's disaster recovery plan (DRP)?
  1. The plan is based on industry best practices.
  2. The plan is reviewed by senior and IT operational management.
  3. Procedures are available at the primary and failover location. Correct Answer
  4. Process steps are documented by the disaster recovery team.

Key Takeaways

Tests the difference between creating a DRP and enabling its practical execution, with the common trap being choosing documentation over site-specific accessibility.

Effective DRP execution relies on having procedures immediately accessible at both primary and failover sites rather than just documenting them or securing management approval. Community discussion highlights that physical or digital availability at the recovery location is critical during an actual outage.

Common mistake: Option D is frequently chosen because candidates assume the DR team’s documentation guarantees execution, overlooking that procedures must be readily accessible at the failover site to be actionable during a crisis.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Option C directly addresses the operational reality of a disaster recovery event. When a failover occurs, staff at the alternate site must have immediate, uninterrupted access to step-by-step procedures to restore critical systems without delay. Without local availability, even perfectly documented plans become useless during a crisis. This aligns with ISACA’s emphasis on practical implementability over theoretical design.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option A focuses on theoretical alignment rather than operational readiness, which does not guarantee execution. Option B addresses governance and approval, which are necessary for funding and policy but do not assist technicians during an active outage. Option D describes authorship, yet creating detailed steps is irrelevant if those steps cannot be accessed at the failover location when personnel change or systems go down.

Community Comment Notes

Candidates frequently debate between options C and D, reflecting the classic documentation-versus-accessibility trap. One highly upvoted comment notes that “expertise resources can change from time to time,” making offline procedure availability critical for quick reference during unexpected staffing gaps. Another user correctly points out that “the question is about execution,” reinforcing that usability at the point of failure outweighs creation or approval workflows.

Official Reference

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Exam Strategy

Always prioritize actionable, site-specific controls over administrative or theoretical options in BC/DR questions. Ask yourself whether the choice directly enables technicians to perform their tasks during an active outage, as ISACA heavily weights practical execution over planning phase activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't documenting process steps by the DR team the best answer?

Documentation alone does not guarantee execution if the documents are inaccessible at the recovery site. ISACA prioritizes physical or digital availability where operations occur.

Does management review improve DRP execution?

Management review ensures governance and resource allocation, but it does not directly enable technical execution during a live disaster.

More CISM FAQ →

Community Votes

D
57%
C
43%

57% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 5 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 5

  1. yottabyte 👍 5 Answered D
    The question asks for effective execution, so if the DR team created the process steps, they will be best in position to execute it. Please correct me if I am wrong. I was tossing between B and D.
  2. afoo1314 👍 4 Answered C
    Expertise resources can change from time to time. Most effective is when proper and details procedure maintain offline at various site. This enables quick references during outage.
  3. ServerBrain 👍 3 Answered D
    The question is about execution,
  4. serg 👍 1 Answered B
    To execute an organization's disaster recovery plan effectively, follow these steps: Obtain management buy-in. Create a DRP team to oversee development and implementation. Complete a risk assessment. Identify critical needs and recovery strategies. Collect data and document the plan. Test and revise the plan. Maintain an updated DRP
  5. bronay 👍 2 Answered C
    C is the answer

Reader comments & corrections

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